Namek Dragon Balls GN Interlude: Story of Hope
by Marie Nomad
Summary: This takes place while the training before the Tournament in Dragon Balls GN, Dinre is worried about Earl training to fight for the fate of the world and Yamcha is there to comfort her.


All characters except for Dinre belongs to Akria Toriyama.   
  
The Story of Miracles and Hope  
By Maria Cline  
  
It was dark as Yamcha gazed out of the window of his desert home. It had been quiet ever since his son left to train to save the world from Gakidou. His wife, Lunch, is off at another trucking assignment so he, Puar, and Dinre is left alone together.  
  
The cold desert air filled the room as Yamcha got out a blanket and covered himself in it. He still remembered all the times he went off to train to save the world. He never really understood how frusterating it is to watch someone he loved train for possible death. Now he knew and understood how Chi Chi and Bulma felt how it felt to watch someone prepare for battle.  
  
"No!" A whimper echoed in the house as Yamcha snapped into fighting position. He relaxed and went to the source of the sound.   
  
There lying in the bed was Dinre in her more innocent blue haired form. "No. Please don't die." She cried as she held her stuffed monkey close to her.  
  
"Dinre?" Yamcha said as he gently shook the girl.  
  
Dinre opened her eyes and grabbed hold of her father. "Earl!"  
  
"Dinre? You okay, sweetheart?" Yamcha whispered as he put a comforting hand over his daughter's head.  
  
"I had a horrible dream!" Dinre screamed as she tightened her grip. "Earl was fighting a horrible monster and he was getting beat up very bad and I couldn't help him! He died!"  
  
Yamcha sighed as he picked up the girl and sat her down on his lap. "It's okay, Dinre, it's just a bad dream. Your brother isn't going to die any time soon."  
  
Tears flowed from the girl's eyes as she sniffed. "But, he's going to fight a monster! He'll die and he might not come back!"  
  
"Shhh..." Yamcha cooed as he cradeled his daughter in his arms. Puar floated in and looked at the two.  
  
"What's wrong?" Puar asked as he sat beside Yamcha.  
  
"Dinre has a nightmare about Earl dying." Yamcha explained, "Say, Puar, why don't you go into the kitchen and get some warm milk and cookies."  
  
"Okay." Puar went off leaving the two alone again.  
  
"Dinre, hon, don't worry about your brother. Earl is a very strong man and he'll get stronger." Yamcha insisted trying to convince her and himself.   
  
"Isn't Gakidou immortal?"  
  
Yamcha remained silent as he stroke his daughter's hair. What can he say? If Dinre was talking about a boogyman or a monster in a closet, Yamcha would just say it doesn't exist and that he can handle it. But how can he convince his daughter that something that's real and deadly won't kill her brother? Finally, he spoke. "There's always hope. Why don't I tell you a story?"  
  
"Okay." Dinre smiled as Yamcha carried his daughter to the living room where Puar was setting up the milk and cookies.  
  
"Thanks, Puar." Yamcha sat Dinre down at the table and sat beside her.  
  
"Now, once upon a time, there's this handsome young warrior who is an excellent fighter."  
  
"Is this a story about you, Daddy?" Dinre asked as she giggled.  
  
Yamcha turned red and nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, I was just barely younger than Earl when this happened. It all started when Puar and I joined Bulma, Goku, and Oolong for the Dragon Ball hunt. We were pretty bad back then since all I wanted was to make a wish for myself. Anyway, Pilaf, an insane man, took the Dragon Balls and captured us. It was a long time ago before I became very strong so we were trapped. We managed to stop Pilaf from making his wish for world domination but we were still in danger. After the screwed up wish, Pilaf sent us to a very dangerous dungeon with a clear steel enhanced glass ceiling and walls made out of pure metal. It was a giant oven that will cook us as soon as the sun rose. Let's just say that things got pretty bad. My most powerful blows at the time were useless."  
  
"If you couldn't get out, how did you live?" Dinre asked interested by the little story.  
  
"Well, that was the funny part." Yamcha smiled a little, "You see, at the time, Goku had his tail and there was a full moon out that night. We didn't know that at the time, Goku can transform into a giant wereape just by looking at a full moon. Anyway, Goku gazed up at the moon by pure accident and changed into a giant monster." Yamcha picked up Dinre's Prince Kango and lifted him up into the air. "Just like Prince Kango here only he wasn't purple. Anyway, Goku, as the giant wereape, smashed through the walls like they were paper and shattered the ceiling into a million peices."  
  
The man rose Prince Kango's fists into the air and started to punch it while roaring. Dinre giggled at the sight.  
  
"So, you escaped?" Dinre guessed as Yamcha put the doll down.  
  
"Yeah. We were free thanks to Goku but there was a small problem."  
  
"What?"  
  
"In this wereape form, Goku was uncontrollable. The nice sweet kid became a complete monster." Yamcha said as he glanced up. "Goku destroyed the entire castle and swatted Pilaf and his henchemen to the other side of the continent. At first, we ran away hoping to stay away from Goku until the moon sets. Unfortunately, we were still caught and we had to fight a pumped out-of-control Goku."  
  
"Whoa. Must've been scary."   
  
"It was. But, in the end, I grabbed Goku's tail and had Puar turn into a pair of scissors. He chopped the tail off and Goku went back to normal. Anyway, the meaning of this story is that even when things look bad and there's no way out, there's always a chance that a miracle will happen. In fact, that's what usually happens when there's evil. Things will look bleak and at the end, someone will surprise us. Goku did that many times as well as Gohan and even Yajarobie."  
  
"Yajarobie?"  
  
"That's a different story." Yamcha said as he picked up Dinre again and carried her to bed. He tucked her in and continued, "That's why I have faith in your brother. He's a very strong boy and maybe he can create a miracle in the end. Besides, we have Goku back again so things will work out."  
  
Yamcha remembered all the times that a miracle happened; the time Goku went Super Saiyan for the first time, the time Gohan went Super Saiyan II, he even knew about how Mr. Satan saved Vegita from Buu.   
  
"I'm glad. I want to date Majunor when I get old enough." Dinre said as she giggled again.  
  
**Kids.** Yamcha shook his head. "Can you sleep now?"  
  
"Uh huh." Dinre nodded as she hugged her father.   
  
"Good night." Yamcha said as he was about to turn off the lights.  
  
"Wait!" Dinre called out and Yamcha lifted his hand.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did you have any other miracles?" Dinre asked.  
  
"Yeah." Yamcha went to her bed and knelt down, "I have two wonderful miracles. Three if you want to be more specific. You, the blond you, and Earl. You three are my miracles." Yamcha answered as he put his finger on Dinre's nose.   
  
"I love you, Daddy."  
  
"I love you too, Dinre-chan." Yamcha whispered as he turned out the light. He went out into the living room and picked up the leftovers as he smiled to himself. Telling that story also brought comfort into the man's heart. In this world of mystical items and aliens from outer space, miracles can happen and there will always be hope even in the cold dark night.  
  
Fin.  
  
  
  



End file.
